


Twofold

by shadow_of_egypt (Shachaai)



Series: Nihon [9]
Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multi, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-07-24
Updated: 2010-07-24
Packaged: 2017-10-10 19:00:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/103084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shachaai/pseuds/shadow_of_egypt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To the neighbouring nation of Chugoku Kurogane and Fai go, there to finalise and sign an important peace treaty between that empire and Nihon. It should’ve been a relatively simple enterprise, had the Emperor been willing to keep his word, but that no longer seems to be the case. Despite the talk of peace Chugoku looks set for war, and if that’s what the empire wants Fai and Kurogane will willingly <em>give </em>them it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for violence, possible (probable) OC death, bad language, and definite citrus content. Possibly (probably) other dark stuff too.
> 
> Set chronologically a fortnight after the events in _Sky of Gold, _in the autumn of their second year in Nihon.

Kurogane had a headache. A bright, bounding, overly-enthusiastic headache that had a particular insistence in hanging around and causing havoc, smiling and laughing and skittering about the ship willy-nilly, will o’ wisp. This headache had poked everything on-board there was to feasibly poke, asked an endless stream of questions that had simultaneously charmed the captain and had the man putting said headache outside of the door for some peace, and driven Kurogane, yet again, to the point where he was actually considering murder.

Most people called this headache ‘Fai’.

“Mage, I swear to all the gods out there that if you do not shut up, sit down and stop bouncing all over the deck like some sort of demented rabbit _this instant _I’m tying you up and throwing you overboard.”

They were on their way to Chugoku, the empire that was closest to Nihon by sea, there to finalise what was basically a peace treaty between the two nations. The Chugokian ambassadors had arrived in Nihon with the summer to negotiate the first half; this return trip would draw a conclusion to the affair, if all went well, on amiable grounds. Chugoku – larger, denser, and by far more aggressive - had been a political pain for Nihon for far too long. A few more days of sailing, and they’d be there.

 “_Mou, _Kuro-tan,” Fai’s pout was legendary, the blond leaning back against the deck’s rail and letting the sailor he’d been harassing (‘questioning, Kuro-pii!’) escape, giving his attention to his vexed lover, “that would be awfully mean.”

“_Gagged,” _Kurogane added for good measure, stalking forward the few more steps that would take him to Fai’s side, “with rocks around your ankles.” This close to the port side he could hear the slap of the waves against the side of the ship, spray touching the skin of his arms.

Fai laughed at him, impervious to the crimson glower being levelled his way. “Kuro-chi would miss me if I were gone.” His smile was confident, damnably so, as Kurogane came within touching distance, Fai walking his fingers up the ninja’s chest and cupping Kurogane’s cheek with one hand. “Who would he have to cuddle with at night?”

Kurogane continued to glare. “I don’t ‘cuddle.’”

“Of course not.” When had Fai grown so patronisingly indulgent? “Kuro-chan _snuggles. _In a really manly fashion.”

Kurogane planted a hand either side of Fai’s waist on the rail, pinning the mage in place. “The waters around here are shark-infested, you realise.”

“Those would be the fish with the really big teeth?” Kurogane nodded and Fai flung himself melodramatically against the ninja’s chest, sobbing artistically as his voice cried out with a wail. _“Wah, _Kuro-sama wants me to be eaten! _Eaten!!_” Everyone on deck turned around to stare, and Kurogane felt a dull flush creeping up his neck. “He’d probably chop me up into little pieces and feed me to them himself – _ohhhh_,” this last was a quivering lament, “Kuro-pon is such a tyrant! So mean; so cruel, disposing of his love to the beasts of the sea to avoid scandal and shame -”

The eyes of the people on deck were beginning to turn disapproving. Kurogane leaned down to hiss against Fai’s ear, “Would you _shut_ _up_ already?!”

Fai looked up to smirk at him, and his eyes gleamed wickedly, foreign blue and gold. _“Oh-!” _

Kurogane clamped a hand over his mouth – and the disapproving looks around the deck promptly became arctic glares boring into his spine. Kurogane bristled, flung on the defensive. “I’m not gonna do anything to him!!” Disbelieving. “I wouldn’t throw him overboard!!”

“Kuro-sama!!” A happy yell (squeal) from in front informed Kurogane that, while he’d been glaring at everyone else, the hand that had been muffling Fai had slipped, the mage slithering down to his knees and wrapping his arms determinedly around Kurogane’s waist and _snuzzling _thereabouts. “You love me after all~~.” Snuggle, snuggle, _rub._

Kurogane coloured further, switching his glare down to the one on the ground as he attempted to pry Fai from his person. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”  

“I’m hugging Kuro-tan~!”

“_That isn’t hugging!”_

“Of course it is~!” Rub, rub, snuzzle, _rub. _Fai was as affectionate as a cat, short hair gleaming brightly in the sun overhead as he shamelessly nuzzled against Kurogane’s stomach – in _public -, _all but purring all the while. The sound sent pleasant vibrations through his lover’s skin, red touching Kurogane’s ears as he realised the effect Fai’s actions were having on him. Just thinking about it made everything even worse - Fai was on his knees in a position _far _better suited for the bedroom, memories of that golden head between his thighs doing much more _pleasurable _things not at all distant for Kurogane to pluck at, feeling heat pool low in his belly.

_  
“Mage,”_ Kurogane gritted his teeth, trying vainly to clamp down on his body’s reactions to Fai’s enthusiastic (and _possibly _unintentional) stimulus, his hands tightening on the ship’s rail, the wood protesting at the strength of his grip with his metal hand. (_Please_ let everyone have looked away by that point.) “Let go.”

Fai looked up and smiled sweetly, and for one brief, blinding instant Kurogane felt a surge of hope his companion would actually listen to him for a change. Naturally, it all came crashing down. “No.”

_  
“Let go of me, damn it!!”  
_

Fai laughed into his abdomen, lips curved and shoulders shaking, Kurogane shuddering at the sensation and fighting his instinctive reaction to curl over the body of the kneeling magician. It was a wonder Fai hadn’t commented on his aroused state already – it had to be hard to miss, with his face pressed that close; a hakama could only hide so much.

“Kuro-sama…” Fai’s voice was a breath and his eyes were mischievously burning, mouth tugged up into a devil’s smile, hands slipping to Kurogane’s hips. The bastard knew _exactly _what he was doing, hot gaze flickering between Kurogane’s tormented face and the agape people on-board with them – nearly all of whom who were staring at the entangled couple with the sort of morbid fascination, to quote something one of Tomoyo’s guards had been caught muttering whilst they’d been in Piffle, that was usually reserved for a trainwreck.  

It was truly a miracle there was any blood left in Kurogane’s body to paint his cheeks such a vivid shade of red, the rest of his circulation having pumped lower to the building ache there, hot and hard. It was all Fai’s fault – _all _of it -, Fai with his teasing, Fai with his smile, Fai for making himself become so associated with lewd thoughts in Kurogane’s mind that it was hard to draw breath and look at the mage sometimes without _some _sort of indecent image springing immediately to mind.

Enough was enough.

Kurogane reached down with his right hand, yanking Fai up forcefully by the collar with little care for the state of the blond’s clothes and growling into his face. Again, Fai laughed, delighted in the face of danger, and, snake-fast, leaned forwards to press a lingering kiss to the corner of his ninja’s mouth.

“Kuro-sama,” he murmured again against the soft skin there, the slits of his eyes aglow with his wicked teasing, “do you want to play?”

Stiff-legged, Kurogane dragged him off, pulling Fai below decks and heading for their rooms. They didn’t make it there – Kurogane’s grip on Fai’s collar was awkward and the mage tripped, stumbling into Kurogane and pushing the taller man into the nearest wall. The sudden pressure made Kurogane hiss, hips slammed against hips, Fai more than happy to rock into him, sealing their mouths in a searing kiss.  

The corridor they were in was thankfully deserted, their moans muffled by each other’s mouths, covered up by the creaks of the ship and the ever-present sound of the waves. Fai broke their kiss with a grin and dropped to his knees once more to make good of his earlier unspoken promise, undoing Kurogane’s hakama even as the ninja himself tried to offer a protest – they were in a public area, anyone could walk by, and oh_, kami_-!

Fai only smirked when Kurogane groaned, settling his grip on Kurogane’s hips once more and returning to lazily sucking on the head of the ninja’s cock. Kurogane’s protests seemed to have died a miraculous death, the man’s breath hitching and his head making a dull _thump _as it fell back to hit the wood of the wall behind him, throat working but little comprehensible noise coming out as Fai took him in deeper, deeper, swallowing him into wet warmth. Kurogane instinctively strained against the hands pinning him in place, trying to buck into the damp heat, but Fai kept him mostly still, not wanting to choke.

Fai was certainly good at what he did – experience had taught him what Kurogane did and didn’t like, how to drag his sharp teeth lightly down the man’s length to get Kurogane to make that _particular _noise, that sound between a growl and a groan, larger hands fisting in gold hair for something – _anything – _to hold onto. He hummed deliberately and Kurogane gave in and came with an oath, Fai swallowing the other’s seed and letting Kurogane slip from his mouth so the ninja could slide heavily down the wall, still panting, orgasm leaving an attractive glaze in his eyes.

“Good?” Fai queried, amused at the utter failure of his words to sink into Kurogane’s mind until a good three minutes had passed, Kurogane focusing eventually on his face – and letting loose another oath again, quieter this time, thumb rising to brush at some of his come that Fai had missed, a spot on the mage’s swollen lower lip.

“You -” again, Kurogane’s throat worked, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, but little sound came out. He gave up on speech and slid his artificial hand to the back of Fai’s neck instead, pulling the slighter man up and between his legs for a hard kiss.

“Kuro-chan,” Fai started wetly when Kurogane’s other hand spread itself on his inner thigh, pulling back slightly as the fingers slid upwards, pushing up the hem of Fai’s kimono, the bottom of the under-robe underneath, “we’re in a corridor.” An awareness of one’s surroundings was optional and relative to the situation.

“Hn,” no-one had come along yet. Fai shivered as those familiar calloused fingers touched his hip, points of warmth against the skin. “Why aren’t you wearing underwear?”

“The kimono wouldn’t hang right on top -” Fai breathed out harshly when Kurogane palmed his length, the mage already hard beneath his clothes. His words were gritted out, a testament of will. “Kuro-pii, my robes -”

Kurogane stroked him and Fai’s head fell forward against the ninja’s shoulder, a shudder trailing down his spine. “Fuck the robes.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever tried that kink -” the words broke into a soft cry, Kurogane’s thumb doing that _thing _over the tip of Fai’s cock, pumping the other slowly, surely, Fai’s breathing damp and heavy as he pushed against Kurogane’s chest with his head.

Kurogane smirked down at him, continuing to rub the nape of the blond’s neck with his artificial hand, liking the tremble the cool metal sent through Fai’s form. It was good to have the – literal – upper hand for once, Fai moaning low in the back of his throat, thrusting shallowly into Kurogane’s grip. Kurogane stroked him more firmly, faster, just to hear the other’s breath quicken, harsher, to hear Fai’s keen. When the mage came he spilled over into Kurogane’s hand, Fai going lax against the ninja’s chest as Kurogane retrieved his palm from beneath the other’s kimono, absently wiping it on the cloth.

Hazy, mismatched eyes glowered at him, coupled with a pout. “My _robes.” _      

“They were wrecked anyway,” Kurogane, ever the shining example of reasonability, pointed out.

Fai grumbled. “Tomoyo-chan made them.”

“Tomoyo knows what you’re (“‘_we’re’, _Kuro-chi,”) capable of. They’ll wash.”

Another grumble, Fai dropping his head again. “I’ll remember that, Kuro-myu.”

 

#

 

It was the afternoon of their arrival in Chugoku. Land had been sighted and the port where they were to make official introductions had come into view, Kurogane leaning on the side of the ship beside one of his advisors for the trip, a scholar named Taro who had been at the Chugokian Imperial Court before, assisting the Nihon foreign ambassador there, Shizkomoto Akemi. (He’d returned to Nihon, he told Kurogane idly, to be married.) Fai was absently darting about the deck doing only-the-gods-knew-what, a blur of white and blue and gold out of the corner of Kurogane’s eye.

Taro was naming the officials that could be barely seen on the port’s side, tiny figures that had mostly only been names on official documents to Kurogane before.

“That’s Jiang-gōng, and those are Miankai-jiéxià and Sun Kai-jiéxià -”

“I know those last two.” Kurogane interrupted, brow drawing down into a scowl. “They were the ambassadors who came to Court in the summer.” Bastards that they were.

“And that’s -” Taro froze, mouth dropping open slightly as his finger pointed to a figure reclining in yellow and gold under a white pavilion, “_kami, _that’s Zhuang-wángyé.”

“_Hyuu,” _Fai actually paused for a moment in his fluttering around the deck, drawn in by the comment and leaning in on Kurogane’s shoulder to peer at the glittering figure in the distance as if it would magically make him any larger. “They sent the Crown Prince to greet us? That’s fairly uncommon.”

“Maybe it’s a sign they’re ready to take us seriously,” Taro said, looking hopeful. “It’s an honour for the Imperial House to greet us this way.”

“Hn,” Kurogane looked away from the scholar, back at the Chugokian Crown Prince.

“Kuro-rin,” Fai teased, “how eloquent of you.” Kurogane flicked a glare at him and Fai laughed, changing the subject. “We’ll be coming to port soon, Kuro-wan, and I need to finish getting dressed. Have you seen my other slipper?” He gestured down to his feet, one of which was bare.

Kurogane eyed him. “Why the hell would _I _know where your damn slipper is?”

Fai pouted at him. “I didn’t move it, and no-one else aside from you has been in our cabin.”

“I didn’t move your slipper.”

“So it got up and walked off by itself?” Kurogane glared at him, and Fai sighed. “_Fine, _Kuro-chin, I’ll go look again. _But -” _he exclaimed with a flourish over his shoulder as he walked away, “a truly noble ninja would aid his dearly beloved in his quest~!”

_  
“Find your own damn slipper!”  
_

Taro smiled blithely at the exchange. “My new wife and I argue the same way. She’s forever haranguing about moving her things around and messing up her organisation.”

“_Hmph_,” Kuro slumped against the rail again, Fai out of sight, his snort a feeling one. Then it hit him. “Wait, he’s not my w-”

“Kurogane-sama,” one of the sailors passing by interrupted, “the captain wishes you to know we’ll be pulling up to the port presently,” as if any of them could miss how close they were to land, and the crowds standing upon it.

“…Right.” Wouldn’t disembarking into that viper’s nest be _fun. “_Make sure the idiot knows.”

“‘The idiot’-?” Clearly, this sailor hadn’t been exposed to Fai as often as some of his friends.

“Fluorite-sama,” Taro elaborated, clearing up the confusion and letting the man go off. Taro glanced up at Kurogane beside him. “Do you think this trip will go well, Kurogane-sama?” The ninja nodded sharply. “What makes you so sure?”

Kurogane laid a hand on the sword at his waist, smile wolfish. “I can be a pretty effective persuader.”

Taro laughed a little more weakly at that – he just hoped someone had informed Kurogane they were going on shore for a _peace _treaty.

 

#

 

Kurogane disembarked the boat with his shoulders back and his head raised high, an imposing figure in black and vivid red. A few of the Chugokian slaves – marked by the collars of silver or gold around their necks, the metal respective of the ranking of their owner – visibly quavered when the ninja stalked into view, but kept still, afraid of a lashing if they stepped away and could possibly be deemed to have interfered with their masters’ oiled presentations.

“Kurogane-jiéxià,” it was the ambassador Miankai that stepped forward to greet the ninja, Kurogane’s Nihon name jarring a little beside the Chugokian honorific. The Chugokian courtier only smiled though, a perfect image of insincere sincerity. “It is my pleasure to welcome you to this, our fair land.”

“It is my pleasure to be here,” Kurogane dutifully replied in the same tongue, having had manners (and the language) drummed into him by the Amaterasu, Tomoyo and Fai for these sorts of situations.

“I will lead you to His Highness, Zhuang-wángyé – but,” Miankai paused, glancing at the noticeably empty spot at Kurogane’s side, “is the mage, Fluorite-jiéxià, still indisposed with his summer sickness? We were told he was to be arriving with you.”

Kurogane only justmanaged to avoid going ‘_huh?’ _at the question – why was Miankai asking him about Fai? The blond had gotten off the ship right behind Kurogane; the idiot had even flashed him a quick smile before he’d disembarked. Fai was –

Kurogane risked a glance over his shoulder. Taro looked back at him a little helplessly, and shrugged slightly. The scholar hadn’t seen him.

Fai was nowhere to be found, apparently. _Brilliant._

“My apologies,” Kurogane’s words were clipped, irritated at Miankai, the situation, and Fai – _probably _in that order. “It appears my partner has found himself delayed on-board.”

_  
“I found my shoe!”   
_  
The sudden cry from the ship drew everyone’s attention, heads swivelling throughout the crowd to the blond figure that had appeared at the top of the gangplank there, waving some frippery in a pretty shade of blue about in the air. (It was probably the slipper.)

Fai scrambled his way down the gangplank, the people that had come from Nihon with them hastily clearing a path for him to get through, Fai darting forwards until he reached Kurogane’s side – at which point he still realised he was holding his slipper in his hand, and promptly dropped it to the floor so he could actually put it on.

If there’d been a wall nearby, Kurogane would’ve smacked his head off of it.

“…Fluorite-jiéxià?” Miankai looked a little taken-aback – his was one of the milder reactions. Some of the other natives were out-and-out gawking, jaws having outright dropped throughout the Imperial welcome party at the sight, and introduction, of the blond. (Kurogane couldn’t blame them, quite aside from his fair colouring, Fai tended to have that sort of effect on people.)

“A pleasure to meet you,” Fai was immediate warmth, delicately focusing one of his potent smiles on the Chugokian ambassador, an expression very few could tell was nearly completely fake.

There was laughter, full and rich, from the side, Miankai halting with whatever reply he’d been about to make and hastily bowing to the man who had appeared behind him. “Highness.” The courtier glanced up again. “Your Highness, I was bringing them to you -”

“No matter,” the newcomer held up a hand and Miankai fell silent, dropping his head once more. The stranger then looked to Fai and Kurogane, both of whom offered their own obeisances, murmuring a soft ‘Your Highness’ between them, recognising the man pointed to them by Taro on-board the ship.

“It is my pleasure to welcome to Chugoku, friends from Nihon, on behalf of my father, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Chugoku. He extends his warmth to you, and bids you make yourself comfortable whilst you are in these lands.” Crown Prince Zhuang was impressive up close. He was tall – but not quite as tall as Kurogane -, with a set face and a determined dignity. His gown was the same shade of wild yellow as the petals of a sunflower, heavy with brocade and fine stitching, curling dragons over the fluid cloth. His eyes were painted and he was covered in gold, a princeling the like Fai had never seen before, not in all his own experience.

(From the way his attendants seemed to be fussing amongst themselves in the background about how the prince was supposed to have stayed out of the sun and under his pavilion, however, it was clear the royal was very much like the others Kurogane was acquainted with. (None of them would do as they were damn well _told._))

“Her Imperial Majesty Amaterasu, the Empress of Nihon, sends her kindest greetings, and the hope for the strengthening of the bond between our two nations.” Kurogane left the pretty words to Fai – the idiot was far more verbose than he, and still a much better liar. The speech was rehearsed but the charm was all the blond’s.

And then the Chugokian prince broke from tradition. “You certainly know how to make a lasting first impression.” He sounded amused.

“It’s a terrible habit of mine, Your Highness.” Fai glanced up between his lashes, a flicker of rueful amusement, and something flitted across Zhuang’s face too brief to properly register but had Kurogane stiffening slightly all the same –

“We’ll be taking barges up the river to the Imperial Palace.” Zhuang turned his back on them and began striding off with the clear intention they were to follow. As the prince’s servants fussed Fai and Kurogane did as they were implicitly bid, the rest of their entourage being shepherded about behind them. Kurogane made a face as they walked, disliking the royal’s abrupt way of dismissing them, but Fai’s smile was soothing (wasn’t he supposed to be mad at that idiot?) and Miankai stayed thankfully out of the way, looking thoughtful.

Kurogane smacked Fai upside the head the moment they were somewhere relatively quiet on-board, Fai immediately whining and rubbing his abused skull. Fai mock-sulked and Kurogane called him an idiot, and they both watched as the boat cut smoothly through the water, the rippling river, the passing scenery on the banks.

“They’re showing off,” Kurogane said lowly, as the Imperial barge sailed past another glittering military camp on the banks, row upon row of soldiers out and doing their drills.

“Oh, I know.” Fai’s pose was lazy, his chin propped up on one hand as he leaned on the rail. “There were powerful mages in the welcome party – most of them came on-board with us.” Kurogane stiffened again. “They came to assess us.”

“And?” His lover prompted him. How had they done?

Fai smiled, a slow spread of his lips. “His Highness Zhuang-wángyé was so very personable with us for a _reason_, Kuro-pii. We have to be worth their time if they’re going to be nice to us.”

“Incidentally,” Kurogane’s voice was still low, “the prince is staring at us.” Zhuang had taken a seat in the shade on deck the moment he’d come on board and not budged from it since – his eyes, however, brown-gold and attentive, had been everywhere. Currently, they were fixed on the Nihon ambassadors, and Kurogane didn’t like it.

“And why shouldn’t he?” Fai queried, keeping his smile even. “We are his guests and his responsibility, and we’re also something new in his day. Variety is the spice of life, Kuro-pon~!”

“That still doesn’t give him the right to -” Kurogane broke off mid-sentence and turned on the person who’d suddenly ghosted into their close vicinity, lips pulled back in an almost-snarl, “_what_?”

It was a female slave dressed in off-white and grey, her black hair cropped about her ears. When she straightened from the bow she’d been holding the gold collar about her neck caught the light of the sun. “His Highness, Zhuang-wángyé, requests that you will see him now, Fluorite-jiéxià, Kurogane-jiéxià.” It was less of a request, and more a politely-worded demand. “There are refreshments in the shade.”

Fai smiled again – really, this trip was letting the mage fall back into horrible habits. Barely any of the caricatures of happiness Fai had sported since coming off the ship had held any genuine meaning behind them (but then, maybe that was a good thing – Kurogane wasn’t quite sure he’d be willing to share). “We’ll be there presently.” The slave disappeared to inform the prince.

They went to Zhuang and sat and the low chairs the slaves provided for them – although it was implied they were meant to sit lower than the prince Kurogane’s height meant that Zhuang was still towered over, the royal expressing only the slightest flash of irritation before cordially offering the ambassadors some of the cool, sweet tea he’d been drinking, along with some fruit.

“We’ll be at the Palace in about an hour,” he told them. “You’ll be shown to your rooms where you can wash and change after your journey, and then be presented to the Emperor before dinner.”

“Change?” Kurogane looked up at the prince, his voice muffled around the plum he’d just bitten into. His expression clearly revealed his feelings on the matter – they had to get changed? _Again? _(Fai had had to threaten him into the fancy robes he was already wearing for coming off of the ship.)

Fai kicked him in the ankle, feigning a stretch, and beamed charmingly for Zhuang. “That would be wonderful, Your Highness, thank you.”

They made idle, meaningless conversation for that hour, Zhuang and Fai driving it along, Kurogane occasionally voicing a question or comment. They discussed the weather, their clothing, music, food, even broaching tentatively out onto family at one point (‘Fluorite-jiéxià, do you have any siblings? Wives? Children?’ Fai had smiled and laughed and said ‘no’, and Kurogane had echoed him), but nothing political, nothing to do with the military or international affairs.

They arrived at the Imperial palace eventually. Fai made his ‘_hyuu’_ noise at the sheer size of it as they disembarked, and Kurogane muttered under his breath about it making such a spectacular target – even an idiot beginner couldn’t fail to hit it.

They were shown to their rooms – Fai first, as Kurogane insisted he wanted to know where the mage was being placed, and then he himself, led away by another slave what seemed a stupidly long distance. His belongings were already in his chambers by the time he arrived there, and Kurogane promptly opened up one of his cases, grabbed one of the robe-things that was on the top, and made the trek straight back to where he’d last seen Fai.

The idiot had found the bath. Kurogane left the clothes he was carrying in the bedchamber and followed the sound of water over into the bathroom, only mildly surprised to see his lover up to his neck in warm water, boneless and sprawled out in sheer hedonistic pleasure. The air was heavy with some…weird scent, the bathwater’s surface gleaming with a thin sheen of oil.

Kurogane folded his arms across his chest, and leaned back against the nearest wall. “Having fun?”

Fai made a noise closely akin to that of a sleepy cat, his eyes opening as he smiled out a lazy greeting. “Kuro-myu~”

“Weren’t you supposed to be getting changed?”

“Kuro-chan, we have an hour until we’re supposed to see the Emperor.” Fai sank a little lower in the water, tilting his head back so the liquid sank into the gold of his hair, darkening it. “I fully intend to spend it _right_. _Here.”_

“You’ll wrinkle.” An appeal to the blond’s sliver of vanity usually worked.

“I don’t care.” Fai really didn’t, resuming his expression of bliss. No power in heaven or on earth was moving him from that bath before he was good and ready.  “Kuro-sama should join me – don’t worry, I won’t peek.”

Kurogane considered it. If he turned down the offer he’d have nothing much to do except wait around for Fai to be done; it really wasn’t advisable for him to attempt to check out the palace just yet, not considering they’d still to meet the Emperor and be extended his tacit welcome. They’d have to meet the permanent Nihon ambassador here in Chugoku, Shizkomoto, sometime – he’d probably be at the dinner, and Taro and the rest of their group would be milling about as well…  

Kurogane dropped the clothes he was wearing and stepped into the water, not looking at Fai but definitely _hearing _the other’s soft groan of appreciation. “Oi, what happened to no peeking?”

“I didn’t peek,” Fai defended, his smile cat-like and curling as Kurogane waded through the water towards him, the ripples caused by the movement lapping up around his pale neck. “I ogled.” His voice dropped when Kurogane came close enough, his hand rising, sleek, to trail a wet line across his lover’s bare collarbone. “Kuro-sama is very oglable.”

Kurogane wrinkled his nose, feeling the water drip down his chest from the blond’s touch. “Is that even a word?” Actually in the water the scent of the oil went straight to his head, heady, overpowering.

“It is now~,” Fai only chuckled at Kurogane’s disgruntled expression, tugging the other down to sit beside him and promptly snuggling against the ninja’s chest, making himself comfortable.

Kurogane…had to reluctantly admit that this was nice. The water was warm and soothing, Fai was tucked at ease against him and drawing slow, whimsical patterns on his skin, and the time could trickle by, lost in the curls of steam that rose from the water to twirl in the air.

“Before we go home,” Fai drowsily informed him after a long stretch of peace had gone by, “we’re having sex in this bath.”

Kurogane glanced down at him. “Don’t I get any say in the matter?”

“Sex. This bath.” Fai was firm. “You can choose the scented oil.”

Kurogane snorted and they lapsed back into quiet again, eventually slipping out of the bath, drying themselves off and heading through to get changed. Kurogane yanked his red and black ensemble on with little aplomb but Fai dawdled about for what seemed like forever and a day, whisking out a selection of multicoloured fabric and darting behind a patterned screen nearby to change.

“No peeking, Kuro-tan~!!” …Hypocrite.

“Idiot,” Kurogane sighed and sat in a nearby chair, “I’ve seen it all before.”

“That’s because Ku~ro-sa~ma is a _per~vert~.” _Kurogane only growled at the other’s sing-song declaration, Fai laughing and appearing a few minutes later in Chugokian-style robes of blue and cream, holding out a light sash to his lover. “Would Kuro-do help me tie this?”

Kurogane strongly resisted the urge to wrap the sash around Fai’s throat and throttle the mage with it, instead fixing it around the other’s waist as he was asked to, Fai kissing him on the cheeks in thanks before moving away a step or two.

 “It looks alright? Tomoyo-chan made this for me before we came, to fit in with the local fashions.” Fai twirled, the edges of his long over-robe lifting slightly as it caught the air, material pressing against the mage’s legs. “Does Kuro-pon like it?”

“Don’t call me that while we’re here.” Kurogane moved automatically to take the other’s arm, feeling soft cloth beneath his fingertips. He had to impress this upon the other – he probably should’ve told him earlier. “We’re official ambassadors for Nihon – we need to command respect ion this Court.”

“So I can call you it every other time we’re _not _at Court?” Fai fluttered his eyes rather suggestively, Kurogane close enough to make out each individual lash.

“_Tch_.” The ninja glanced away. “It’s not like you’re going to listen to me if I say no.”

“Of _course _I listen to Kuro-tama!” Fai looked scandalised. “He always makes such pretty noises, especially when I do that thing he likes with my t-”

_  
“Fai.”  
_

Fai smiled up at Kurogane, softer than before, and laid a hand on his arm. “I promise I’ll be good.”

 

#

 

Kurogane was slowly, but inexorably, getting sick of the Imperial family’s fondness for the obnoxious shade of yellow they all seemed to be wearing. The Emperor wore it, his wives wore it, his sons and daughters wore it, and the room seemed full of the glaring colour, the Court's whispers as they looked at the foreigners from Nihon. Let them whisper – Nihon was small, but Nihon was rich and strong, and Chugoku would do well to mind that.

 They had been presented to His Imperial Majesty, the son of Heaven,  and Kurogane had disliked him on sight, but bowed low as bid as the man brought out his darling heir, Zhuang, for display, his chief wife, a mild hand waved at a flock of what were, Kurogane assumed, his giggling daughters. Even Fai had flickered a little wearily as the Emperor brought out his officials again, the men they’d be dealing with over the treaty, Sun Kai, Miankai, a score of others. Both Fai and Kurogane had nodded and noted names and faces as best they could for a brief introduction, neither really sitting up to pay true attention until the Court’s Chief Mage was introduced, Liu Bao, and the two slave charges he watched over. Usually, the Emperor languidly explained, as he waved forward an elaborately-dressed, smiling man, slaves weren’t taught magic, but these two had been found young, raw and dangerous, and it was for the benefit of the Empire that they had been brought in to hone their craft.

Neither Fai nor Kurogane were looking at Liu Bao. Fai, poor Fai, was very much transfixed by the two naively blinking slave children flanking the Chugokian Chief Mage on either side, and Kurogane was distracted trying to offer his lover a subtle, steadying arm, because Fai had gone dreadfully, terribly white, and looked as if he were going to fall over.

Zhuang asking if they had family on the boat suddenly made painfully cruel sense.

“Why, Fluorite-jiéxià,” Liu Bao said, looking taken-aback, seeing the blond’s ashen face, “you look just like my students.”

“It…” Fai shivered once and then forced himself to straighten, to not lean on Kurogane in a Court full of probably hostile eyes, to look away from those blue-eyed, golden-haired, golden-collared _twins _accompanying the other mage. He could feel his memories screaming in his ears and his breath caught again, faltered, but then he was smiling so serenely again, smooth perfection dressed up prettily for this foreign Court’s eyes. Fai inclined his head courteously, respect from one magic practitioner to another. “It is an honour to meet you, and your students.”

“Likewise,” said Liu Bao, glancing down at the twins beside him, confused.

“Likewise,” the twins softly echoed, transfixed by Fai.

Fai didn’t raise his head from its incline to look at them, and his smile was cracked so painfully wide Kurogane wondered how it could fit on his face at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Shizkomoto Akemi had horrible timing. After the long dinner Kurogane had excused himself and Fai as politely as he could manage whilst Fai was still emotionally thunderstruck and a horrific headache was beating itself into a frenzy inside his skull, taking them both back to the mage’s rooms and trying to get the man out of the strange daze he’d sunk into.

“Kuro-sama,” Fai said eventually, the ninja’s real hand cupping his cheek, red gaze frowning unrelentingly into his vision. Fai raised his own hand, laying it over Kurogane’s tan one and smiling, softly, small. “I’m alright.”

“You -”

“I’m alright,” Fai said again, and Kurogane let the matter drop, because he could see truth in the other’s eyes. “It just…surprised me. There’s nothing as strange as meeting one’s self, ne?” Fai dropped his hand and Kurogane followed suit, Fai going to undo his sash and pull off his over-robe. “Kuro-chan, would you help me with this?”

Kurogane did so, pulling it off and dumping the blue material down on the nearby bed. “We’ve met other-world versions of you before.” He paused, Fai going to sit on the bed beside his discarded clothes. “If I remember right, you ended up having a glaring match with the last one when he tried to leap on me.”

Fai snorted, leaning forward and putting his chin on his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. “The last version of ‘me’ wasn’t so…” He searched for a word, “_little.”_

“He also didn’t have his brother with him.”

Fai drew in a breath, and then slowly, resignedly, expelled it again. “No.”

“Then -”

_Then_ Shizkomoto Akemi burst in, quite without introduction, a flurry of robes and scrolls and windmilling arms – not that either of the two already in the room knew who he was at first.

_“Fluorite-san!_ I just heard – I’ve been to organise and fetch up some of my information and I’ve sent one of the slaves to fetch Kurogane-san and -” The man suddenly paused as Fai stared at him, Kurogane glaring and laying his hand on his sword. “_Oh, _he’s already here.”

“Who the _hell _are you?” It was a testament to Kurogane’s training that he hadn’t lunged straight away for the stranger who had so suddenly arrived – but the man had spoken Nihongo, and didn’t exactly _look _like an assassin, so Kurogane settled for a dark, bloody glare, voice barely above a growl.

“Fluorite-sama!!” The doors to the room banged open once more and Taro tripped in at a run, stumbling over the hem of his formal robes. “Fluorite-sama, I’ve -” he spotted Kurogane’s rather vicious expression, and stopped short. “Um -”

“Taro,” Fai spoke up rather helpfully from the bed, “what are you-?”

The doors to the room were pushed open for a _third _time and suddenly the chambers were full of people, all bearing scrolls and prattling loudly about something or other and quite oblivious to the dark cloud of doom growing over by the bed, the way Fai put his hand to his temples showing both the visible signs of a headache and personal knowledge of just what was about to come –

“THAT’S _IT!!” _Kurogane’s roar drowned out everything else, coming from the throat of a man who’d had to command the respect of a yard full of squabbling soldiers, a ninja on the battlefield yelling out his most powerful attack. As Kurogane paused to take a slight breath the room (save Fai) regarded him with slack jaws, utterly stunned, a few of the gaggle actually dropping some of their scrolls. Kurogane looked homicidal. “ALL OF YOU – _OUT! **NOW!!”**_

There was a sudden mass exodus for the door, the crowd shoving at one another to be the first to get away from the scary, _scary _man radiating lethal vibes of death and doom and destruction, a squabble to get out and away as fast as was physically possible. Eventually, the room was empty, save for a few abandoned scrolls and the odd slipper lying about, but Kurogane continued to glare at the door.

A timid head – no doubt elected by straw, or some other hastily-devised plan – poked itself around the barrier. “Kurogane-sama -”

_“AND DON’T COME BACK UNTIL YOU’VE ALL LEARNED TO KNOCK!”_

There was an ‘_eep’ _and the head abruptly vanished, the door clicking shut.

Fai dissolved into laughter that was bordering on being hysterical, falling backwards on the bed with his arms spread wide on either side of him, gazing up at the ceiling. He sounded more than a little deranged, but out poured his resentment at the worlds, the pain of irony, the surprise of having his room suddenly invaded by dozens of clucking unknowns. He laughed until his ribs ached and he was breathless, lolling to the side to see Kurogane looking at him like he’d lost his mind.

Fai smiled, stretching out an arm to him and pulling Kurogane to sit beside his sprawled form on the bed. “I’m alright, Kuro-chan – _really._”

Kurogane still looked a little doubtful, but he raised his free hand to lift some of Fai’s golden fringe from where it fell across the mage’s face, brushing it back with his fingers. “Both your eyes are gold.”

The slightly distant way the other said the words informed Fai just _what _shade of gold his eyes had gone – _vampire. _His fangs felt sharper than usual inside his mouth, pointed canines on the soft pad of his tongue. _“Saa?” _He rolled over onto his stomach, propping his chin up with one hand. “Does Kuro-chu think it makes me look pretty?”

Kurogane growled at him. “Stop fishing for compliments.”

“But Kuro-pii-!” Fai pushed himself up onto his knees, leaning in close to his lover’s face. “An artful kitty must know how to fish~.”

Kurogane placed a steadying hand on the mage’s arm, the slightest of smiles touching his mouth. “This is from the idiot who still shudders every time he so much as _looks _at sushi?”

“The heavens gave us fire for a _reason, _Kuro-tan. Food should be _cooked_ before being eaten, not served up raw with vinegar and rice.” Fai wrinkled his nose, the action impossible to miss since he was so close to Kurogane, words breathed out against the ninja’s lips –

There was a tiny knock at the door.

Kurogane scowled. “I’m going to kill them.”

Fai kissed him quickly, chastely, before falling back onto the sheets more comfortably, sitting cross-legged and letting his eyes lose their glow, returning to their usual mismatched gold and blue. “You might get blood on the pretty carpet.” When Kurogane looked as though he were about to retort Fai laid a slender finger on his lips, and called out to the one(s) knocking. “Come in.”

Taro came in first, with the stranger who had first burst in before right behind him, and three members of the gabbling throng that had come after. The rest had probably – _thankfully – _been dismissed. “Fai-sama, Kurogane-sama,” the scholar looked somewhat repentant, “we wish to apologise for our untimely and ungraceful entrance before.”

“In my haste to assist I seem to have lost my manners.” The officious stranger beside Taro spoke up, the scholar fading into the background beside him. “I am Shizkomoto Akemi, the permanent Nihon ambassador here in the Chugokian Court.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Shizkomoto-san.” Fai nodded his head at the man. It was a relief to slip back into Nihongo.

Kurogane was less polite. “What do you want?”

“…My spies have informed me that His Imperial Majesty has just tonight ordered a good deal of his clerks to re-investigate the history of the Chief Mage’s slave apprentices,” Shizkomoto drew himself up to his full height, the three people accompanying him and Taro shifting a little nervously. “They’re trying to prove that they have a familial connection with you, Fluorite-san.” After all, anyone just _looking _at the twins and Fai together would think the three were related – and they were, in a strange, interdimensional sort-of way that was impossible to explain to someone who was unaware of the existence of other worlds. “While in Chugoku we are subject to the Emperor’s law, and if it were proven there was a relation -”

“If it was proven there was a relation,” Fai said quietly, “then I would be subject to Imperial rule in the same way my ‘relatives’ were subject.”

_“What?”_ Kurogane’s growl made everyone (save the seated Fai) take an automatic step back.

Fai looked up at Shizkomoto. “That is correct, isn’t it?” The man only nodded. “They won’t find any link between us, don’t worry. All my blood kin are dead.”

“Even your extended-?”

Fai’s tone sharpened slightly, but he was smiling pleasantly. “I said _all, _Shizkomoto-san.”

The permanent ambassador looked vaguely apologetic. “There are a lot of rumours flying around this Court about you, Fluorite-san; it’s hard to tell what the truth is, and what has been fabricated.”

“Good,” said Kurogane shortly. The less Chugoku knew about Fai, the better.

Shizkomoto glanced at him, before returning his attention to Fai. “Is it true that you defended the Tsukoyomi from the mercenary army that attacked about midsummer? There are whispers that not a man walked away from the enemy’s side; they were all turned to ashes when you raised a strange _kekkai _that slaughtered those outside of it.”

Slowly, Fai shook his head, disliking being reminded of that time and those events. He looked like little more than a wraith in his strange, flowing robes of white. “I don’t really remember what I did, Shizkomoto-san. I was sick at the time, feverish.”

“…It’s true,” Kurogane said tersely, nodding, answering for his lover. “Partially, anyway. I was with the princess when the _kekkai _came down; everyone within about twenty metres on the outside perimeter was incinerated. Some of the dogs did survive though – they either took their injured or slit the throats of their dying, and then fled.”

Taro stared. “…So powerful, even though you were taken with fever…?” There was little wonder the Chugokian Empire would want to lay claim to such a weapon – it would be one less barrier in the acquisition of Nihon as a tributary nation, a subservient state.

There was an uncomfortable pause.

“…What are the scrolls for, Shizkomoto-san?” Fai raised a hand to gesture at the three men behind the ambassador, all bearing said scrolls with an air of extreme nervousness.

“Ah-!” Shizkomoto leapt back to himself, motioning the men forwards to hurriedly dump their precious loads on the bed before Kurogane and Fai. “I compiled these for you… This is everything that is known about Liu Bao-san’s students, those twins. Since they’re trying to prove that you are related to them in some way, Fai-san, I thought this might be relevant to you.”

The twins had no true recorded names as, as slaves, the Empire technically neglected to grant them any, but it was known that they called each other by the names they claimed they’d be born with, and that the Chief Mage, their primary overseer and teacher, called them by those names as well.

(“The Emperor was most put-out about that at first,” Shizkomoto elaborated, “but Liu Bao-san explained that it was necessary, and so a concession was made.”

Kurogane glanced at Fai, and Fai smiled slowly, sadly, back. “Names have power. The simplest way to control anyone or anything is to weave a spell using its name.”)

They’d been discovered two years ago washed up on a beach in the south-west, assumed survivors of a shipwreck. They’d refused to say where they’d been born, but their colouring and the wreckage that had washed up with them had suggested Suomi, a nation that paid tithe to the Empire. With no-one to claim them they’d fallen into bondage, bought by a noble in the area, pretty slaves to be trained to wait in his household. They’d lasted there up until seven months ago, their magic discovered then when a guest of their master had laid hands on one of them in a way the other had deemed inappropriate. One twin had cried out, distressed, and the other had lashed out, witnesses said, on sheer instinct, a magical blast slamming into the assaulter and sending him straight over the edge of the nearest balcony. The man had survived the fall, but he’d broken his leg upon impact with the ground, and ended up with a decent concussion as well.

Against all advice, scoffing at the very _thought _of slave children possessing magic, their master had had them flogged, insisting the twins must have pushed his guest over the balcony by hand. He had administered the punishment himself, but before he’d even laid the third lash on the first child he’d been slammed back into the nearest wall by a blast from _both _children, the force of which broke his spine, and killed him. His younger brother had inherited his estate, and willingly passed the twins into the care of the nearest local magician. Overawed by the strength he had discovered in the two boys the magician had then alerted someone higher up in the chain, the message eventually travelling up to the Imperial Household, and the Chief Mage, Liu Bao. He had come to the area himself and, finding the twins as strong as – perhaps stronger than – he had been told, bought them off of their new master, and taken them back with him to Court. They’d been there ever since.

“They say that, together, they’re actually stronger than Liu Bao-san is,” Shizkomoto explained, “so they’re watched rather carefully, and kept under wards most of the time.”

“Liu Bao-san is the most powerful acknowledged mage in the Empire,” Taro added quietly, “so there’s a cause for worry if the slaves can exceed him at such a young age. The old Crown Prince, Manchu, might have been able to overcome them, but he died before I returned to Nihon. Rumours say that his elder sister is pretty powerful too, but it is forbidden for women to practice magic here, and Yelan-hime generally keeps herself quiet, so no-one can say for sure.”

“Manchu…” Fai mused aloud, “wasn’t he heading the anti-war faction here at Court? I can recall Tomoyo-hime mentioning him a few times.”

Kurogane was more to the point. “How did he die?”

“He drowned.” Shizkomoto was succinct. “They say he got too drunk at one of the feasts held on one of the Imperial barges and fell overboard when no-one was looking. They only found out he was dead when the body washed up amongst the reeds a few days later. Zhuang-ouji became the new heir.” There was a slight pause. “The strange thing is, prior to that feast, everyone would have swore blind Manchu-ouji didn’t drink.”

They talked a little more among themselves, before Shizkomoto informed them that they’d all been invited on a general tour of the palace after breakfast the following day and left, taking his three assistants with him. Taro lingered only a little longer, waiting to be dismissed, and then there was only Kurogane and Fai, and a pile of scrolls.

“…It’ll be interesting,” Fai said vaguely, toying with one of the rolls of paper, not reading it, “to see some more of the palace. It seems like a beautiful place.”

Kurogane let him have his evasion – it had been a long day. “I’d prefer it if we could skip the tour and get on with the negotiations. The sooner we get out of this hellhole the better.”

“Mm…” Fai was distracted and a slight silence fell – and then suddenly, the man jerked, and shoved all the scrolls impetuously off the bed and onto the floor. A few bounced and rolled away, some unrolled and got tangled with one another, the majority landed in a messy heap.

Kurogane looked at him.

Fai drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, his gaze meeting red eyes over the top almost defiantly. “I don’t want to read them tonight.”

“Then _don’t.” _Nobody would force the idiot. Even after this long knowing each other, Fai didn’t understand _that? _“But you can’t leave them on the floor.” There was probably some classified information in there; they couldn’t just leave it out for anyone to read.

“Then pick them up.” Fai was being strange again, stranger than usual, but –

“You’re the one who just dumped the damned things on the floor.” Kurogane grumbled but rose from his seat on the bed, _trying _to be understanding as he stomped around picking up the fallen scrolls, crumpling them horribly in his grip and stalking over to one of Fai’s cases to dump the lot inside. He slammed the lid down and turned around to look at Fai, knowing the mage had watched him all the while. “Happy now?”

Fai smiled at him, pained, and Kurogane was expecting another dumb comment, but what came out was nothing like what he’d been expecting. “I have a present for you.”

“…Huh?” Fai had an innate talent to blindside his lover.

“In that trunk,” Fai nodded to the one Kurogane had just dumped the scrolls in. “There’s a black wood box in there – it should be near the top on the left. Bring it here, please?”

Kurogane opened the trunk again, pushing aside the scrolls and a few neatly-packed layers of robes. The box was where Fai had said it would be, made of black wood with an enamelled lid, a lighter pattern of a dragon and a crescent moon set in the surface, about the size of a plate and locked with a small, delicate clasp. It was smooth in Kurogane’s hands and a decent weight; something thumped against the side inside the box when he picked it up, carrying it back to the bed.

Fai took it from him, easing his legs down and laying it in his own lap, black against white, and doing some quick trick with his fingers that opened the clasp. He was quick to hand the box back to Kurogane, motioning for the ninja to raise the lid.

Kurogane did so, and blinked a little at what was inside. “…A mirror?” It was round and thin, snugly fitting into the box’s red lining with only a little space to spare. It was backed with the same type of wood as its decorative home, the rim fairly plain, save for a set of tiny notched kanji at one side, Kurogane’s own name.

“You can use it to contact Tomoyo-chan,” Fai explained quietly, “if you ever need to talk to her whilst we’re here and I’m not there. I’ve charmed it; just think of her as you say her name into the glass and put it down somewhere, a portal will appear to her just as if I’d written one into the air like I usually do. Only you can use it; it will react to your voice alone.”

Sometimes – quite a lot of the time – Kurogane forgot Fai was actually a magician. It had been so terribly easy when they’d first met, those years ago, when Fai had been running and refusing to use his gifts. Even after that Fai had kept his magic to a minimum, doing things by hand, preferring to be seen for the man he was than the mage they might fear. Fai was more than just magic, and liked to be known for things that _weren’t _his magic, but still –

The mirror had had a lot of thought put into it – the colours and design, the naming, and even the magic itself… The clear surface reflected Kurogane’s expression back up at him, something perplexed, thoughtful, too deep to really be given a name –

Kurogane closed the box, and kept it in his grasp. “If Tomoyo ever catches wind of the fact you gave me a _mirror _I’m never going to hear the end of it.”

“It’s a very practical gift.” Fai defended the present, smiling slightly. Kurogane had kept it – he liked it. “Even ninjas have to look their best every now and then. Kuro-chan could use it to do his hair.”

Kurogane growled at that and Fai laughed, normally this time. Kurogane wouldn’t admit it, but it was good to hear, especially after that evening’s shock. “Shut up and get changed for bed already – you need to sleep if we’re going on that stupid tour in the morning.”

Fai smirked at that, a languid uplift of his lips. “Kuro-sama just wants me to strip for him, doesn’t he?”

Kurogane coloured, his ears going red. “_Don’t say stupid things!”_

Fai laughed at him again, shifting forwards on the bed so he could curl his fingers in the front of the other’s robes, his head nudging under the other’s chin. “It’s not stupid if it’s true.”

Kurogane let him rest there for a long while, feeling the mage’s warmth against his chest, soft breathing across his collarbone. He raised a hand – his real one – to the back of his idiot’s head, laying it across the nape of Fai’s neck. His artificial hand remained on the mirror’s box, Fai’s gift to him. “Go to sleep.” His voice was quiet. 

With a sigh, Fai pulled away, “Very well.” He accepted the brief kiss to the brow Kurogane gave him, watching as the other man got up from the bed again, taking the mirror with him and heading for the door. “Aren’t you going to wish me pleasant dreams?”

Kurogane paused, and glanced back over his shoulder. “Would that work?” Fai smiled, wry, somewhat pained again. It was Kurogane’s turn to sigh and he returned to the bed, leaning down to press another kiss against Fai’s mouth, solid reassurance that he was there. It wasn’t quite Sakura’s sweet ‘everything will be alright’; it wasn’t even a promise to chase away the nightmares; it was Kurogane, firm and awkward and sincere saying the thousand and one things that they always left unsaid, because once you reached a certain point voicing certain things was pointless. “Sleep well.”

“Sleep well,” Fai returned, a murmur, and Kurogane left him for the night.

 

#

 

Breakfast the following morning was almost as stupidly elaborate as the night before, but there were thankfully less speeches to suffer through. The Chugokian courtiers were naturally all either staring or watching their foreign guests like hawks, but Fai was in better colour, and feeling well enough to be picky about just what it was that ended up on his plate.

“I ate _this?” _He seemed almost genuinely horrified as one of the slaves explained that, yes, Fluorite-jiéxià, the thing he’d been eating at dinner that night before had been balls of rice wrapped in stewed, flavoured seaweed –

Kurogane glanced at the mage out of the corner of his eye, noting the delicate shade of green Fai was turning, a colour matched only by his strange choice of breakfast. “Don’t poke it; just eat it.”

“What wonderful advice, Kurogane.” Fai moved the seaweed-and-rice from his plate as discreetly as he could with chopsticks – namely by foisting them off on Kurogane sitting next to him.

Aside from Kurogane twitching slightly at the use of his _actual name, _the two made it through breakfast, the rest of the Nihon party equally as agreeable. Taro politely took up the space behind Kurogane and Fai in preparation for the tour, a few steps behind them but well within discreet whispering distance – the man _was _their assistant and advisor, after all. Shizkomoto had apparently been detained elsewhere, (“He’s often kept very busy,” Taro said lowly, “he has a network to maintain to gather information, after all,”) but his loss was not too keenly felt.

The two were led by an official lowlier than the ones that had been introduced the night before, and his name slipped by most peoples’ minds quite easily. There was little call for remembering it anyway; the man was quite happy to as good as talk to himself as he took them around the palace, occasionally answering questions from parties who rose out of their stupor every now and then to raise a point of interest – otherwise, he was quite content to give a quite polished monologue.

The tour avoided anywhere and everywhere in the palace that could’ve been considered even mildly controversial. They didn’t go to the training yard, or to any of the rumoured great libraries, or even _close _to the royal harem, where the protected royal women were kept. Instead, they saw the gardens, the fountains, the art, the halls, a museum –

The last one held a couple tucked away in a corner. They were hidden well from sight – it was sheer chance Fai saw them at all, something shifting slightly at the corner of his eye, the edge of a patterned sleeve. He glanced over to see two people perhaps Kurogane’s age – a man and a woman, the man tall, with lightly-coloured hair, dressed all in green, and the pale woman with black hair, just as tall, but stately, almost severe. Fai paused in his steps for a moment to look at her, suddenly curious, and she must have felt his gaze on her because she looked up, and just _looked _at him, perfectly impassive.

Taro, preoccupied with something that Kurogane had asked him, walked straight into Fai’s back. The shock jolted Fai out of his staring match and he was forced to listen to Taro apologising for a good few minutes, Kurogane growing exasperated and eventually just dragging them both along, forcing Fai to forget all about the austere woman and her companion in the museum.  

When the tour ended it was time for lunch, the Nihon group segregated into smaller parties. Fai and Kurogane found themselves taken to a medium-sized terraced balcony, stepping first out into sunshine and then it a carefully-erected shade, a long table set out beneath with pitchers of flavoured water and wine. Shizkomoto awaited them there near the head of the table beside a few of the Chugokian dignitaries; polite greetings were exchanged again (Kurogane muttered under his breath to Fai that he was sick of only saying ‘hello’ to the same damn people, and Fai grinned) and then the two ambassadors from Nihon took their seats, slaves ushering Kurogane to sit beside Shizkomoto, on the left of the table’s head, with Fai opposite him. The chair between them – the actual head – was empty, and Fai glanced at it, then Shizkomoto, curiously.

“Who-?”

“My apologies – it seems I am the last one to arrive.” It was Zhuang, still smiling, resplendent in canary yellow and green. He’d cut back on his jewellery since the last time they’d seen them, and his face seemed relatively free of make-up. It was an improvement; he was actually handsome underneath it all. He took his seat, affecting pleasantries for the whole table, but turned and spoke to Fai. “I hope you weren’t waiting long?”  

“My companion and I have barely been here a few minutes, Your Highness.” Fai gestured to Kurogane on the other side of the table, the ninja giving a short nod of agreement.

“And how did you find the tour?”

“It was very enlightening, Your Highness.”

“Really?” Zhuang beckoned one of the slaves over to pour him something into his cup. “That’s quite a surprise – the one in charge of giving them is a boring old coot.”

“Nevertheless,” Fai replied evenly, unsure of whether the Crown Prince was sincere or not, though he was smiling slightly, “the tour was an enlightening one.”

Zhuang called for the food to be brought through and it was: rice and meat of what seemed like all types – chicken, pork, fish, snake, beef, duck… It came in sauces that were almost as brightly-coloured as the garments the dignitaries at the table wore, vivid colours splashed across the plates.

“The opening of our end of the treaty discussion is this afternoon, isn’t it?” Zhuang waited until everyone had started to eat before speaking again, picking at the food on his own plate thoughtfully. “If you feel capable of missing it I’d be happy to take you to see the school of magic we have just outside of the palace, Fluorite-jiéxià – the general tour never goes there, as access is restricted.”

Fai hesitated – the Chugokians defended their knowledge fiercely, reserving it for the very uppermost of society. For a foreigner to be invited to an area of learning was an honour that couldn’t be turned down easily. Fai looked up at Kurogane and Shizkomoto opposite him, both of whom had overheard the invitation. The former looked wary, disliking the fact the invitation had been for one, while the latter looked delighted, and was attempting to nod approval discreetly.

Fai looked back to Zhuang, who was waiting on his answer. “…It would be an honour and a delight, Your Highness - thank you.”

 

#

 

The school of magic was separate from the main palace but still part of the palace complex in the capital, hidden away behind tall walls with high gates, and elaborate gardens. Fai left Kurogane to gripe about never-ending speeches and headed out onto the beautiful walkways outside the palace with Zhuang leading the way, three slaves walking discreetly behind them, one holding up a silk parasol to protect the two most important people of the group from the sun’s burning rays.

“The gardens are both a defence and a decoration,” Zhuang explained, as they passed a large fountain, cool droplets of spray touching Fai on the cheek. “The scholars sometimes draw inspiration from their growth and design, while the vast expanse the gardens take up works as a barrier for any misplaced magic that could damage the main palace. The outer gardens are cared for by the palace gardeners but the inner ones are maintained by the school itself – the mages can be most _particular_ about just how the plants they use in their various concoctions are grown.”

“Some plants only have magical properties when grown under certain conditions,” Fai clarified as they approached the great white walls that shone in the sun at the end of the walkway they were on, a vast set of doors the only way past. As they came nearer still a smaller door for more regular use opened up in the base of one of the larger doors and a man came out, vaguely preoccupied with some scroll he held in his hands. His figure and the green of his robes were familiar to Fai – Zhuang recognised him too, and called out to him.

“What are you doing here?” The Crown Prince sounded displeased.

The stranger paused mid-step, and glanced up. “…Cousin.” He bowed to Zhuang, rolling up his scroll and tucking it under his arm when he resumed his upright position, before glancing at Fai, with a courteous nod. “Fluorite-jiéxià.”

Zhuang’s eyes were narrowed. “I asked you what you were doing here.”

The stranger remained polite. “I study here, cousin – did you forget?” There really was something horribly familiar about him. After a few seconds of studying him it registered to Fai – the stranger was the man he’d seen in the museum in the morning, although there was something else – “Not that I can profess to being anywhere near the level of our esteemed guest, though.” This was a man who’d lived a long time in Court. “Cousin, won’t you introduce me?”

Zhuang gritted his teeth – but obliged. “Fluorite-jiéxià, this is Shaoqiang-gōng, the son of my father’s late sister – my cousin.”

Fai inclined his head. “Your Grace.”

“You will, of course,” Zhuang continued, looking at his cousin and motioning to Fai, “already know who my companion is.” He’d greeted Fai by name, after all.

Shaoqiang smiled slightly. “Word travels fast, especially when it is so noteworthy.” The noble looked back to Fai. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, especially under such peaceful circumstances.” He actually seemed sincere. “Perhaps we could talk at dinner tonight?”

Fai smiled in return. “I should like that, Your Grace.”

“Then it’s settled.” Shaoqiang seemed pleased and Zhuang irritated – especially when Shaoqiang laid a hand on his shoulder. “I know for a fact my cousin here is the one organising the seating arrangement tonight; now he knows we wish to be seated together I’m sure it will be so.”

Zhuang spoke through gritted teeth. “I shall do my best to accommodate everyone.”

Shaoqiang took his leave after a few more minutes with another half-bow to his cousin, leaving Fai and Zhuang and their small retinue to continue on their way into the school of magic, entering using the same small door they’d first seen Shaoqiang come out of.

Inside were the inner gardens Zhuang had spoke of earlier: smaller than the outer gardens but no less beautiful they were a cacophony of colour, some patches neatly-pruned, others left to grow in a sprawl of brilliance with little heed to season. Heavy, large flowers jostled for place beside herbs, the air thick with scent, the noise of a hidden stream Fai could only assume was used for irrigation. Some of the gardens were bordered with fences, others hedges, and Zhuang led Fai through an orchard of tall trees that were apparently cultivated solely for their bark. Garden after garden after garden, the clearly magical clashing wonderfully with the seemingly mundane.

Here and there a few men worked at the ground – some were gathering herbs and flowers in baskets, some pulling bark from the trees, some watering, some pruning, some planting strange seeds in the soil. If they were all mages, as Zhuang had implied, Nihon was far outstripped by Chugoku in terms of numbers – but then, Nihon had mages with a higher concentration of magic in their blood.   

“The gardens are magnificent.” Fai could find no fault with his surroundings – in fact, he was slightly jealous of them. The work that could be done with only a tiny portion of this estate…

“The actual school is not far beyond these hedges.” Zhuang pointed ahead of them and slightly to the right, one of the slaves with them edging out of the way, to where another path vanished between two sides of towering green. “It’s just as magnificent as the gardens, but due to the nature of what’s kept in it, it’s even more out of sight.”

Again, Fai thought of Nihon, and the lessons he’d taught Umi in plain sight, in the fields and the courtyards, with a warding around them for safety, but nothing to cloak them. Chugoku really did take the entirely opposite view. “Of course.”

They approached the hedges, and made to turn the corner. “If we just go right here -”

Zhuang was cut off mid-sentence, something small barrelling around the corner at full-pelt and ramming straight into Fai’s legs, sending the mage stumbling back a step into the slaves behind, knocking one off balance, and causing another to drop the parasol he’d been holding, catching Fai instead before the man could hit the ground, Fai himself grasping hold of whatever it was that had collided with him – a child -, something else hitting the ground close to his foot.

“I’m sorry – I’m so sorry -” the child – boy – began babbling at once even as everyone began to straighten themselves out, pulling free of Fai to pick up what it was he’d dropped in the collision – a basket full of red flowers, some of the petals now strewn across the path. The action bared his neck to scrutiny, the golden slave’s collar there gleaming as brightly as his hair. “I’m sorry, I -” he looked up, and stopped talking immediately, mouth working soundlessly for a few seconds as he stared at Fai. “It’s _you.”_

“…It’s me.” Fai parroted, suddenly so very unsure of what to say as he looked at the child before him – Fai, Fai, _Fai. _His…little brother on this world, only - “Hello.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) In defence of their general behaviour in this fic – well, really this whole _Nihon _series of mine, pretty much -: by this point in my fanon, they’ve been in Nihon for a year and a half, in an established relationship. Even _before _they reached the country they’d been together for god-only-knows-how-long, travelling between the worlds also – post-series – in a relationship. I like to hope they might’ve gotten a little more used to each others’ quirks and foibles by this point in time. X3 (I mean. They’re still a pain in the ass to each other, but they’re _loveable _pains in each others’ understanding asses (be as literal as you like with that), and you can totally see why I should never write about relationships at quarter past two in the morning, can’t you. *laughs*)
> 
> 2) Generally, there’s some reasoning behind what I name my OCs, if any of you ever feel bored enough to go and look their names up. I sneak actual CLAMP characters in there too – Yelan, and if any of you can tell me who she is without research you get a whole packet of cookies and some love. (She’s also sometimes called Lelang – translation difficulties, don’t you just love them?)
> 
> 3) ‘-gōng’ is a Chinese suffix again – I believe it literally translates to ‘duke’?

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t checked exactly, but I actually think the only time Kurogane’s referred to Fai by his name in this series insofar was when (in _We Go Ever Onwards) _Koko the cat shredded his manga. I mean, _seriously, _Kuro-pon, you’re having wild, passionate sexytiems with sex-on-legs, and you care more about the mangayan. *sighs*
> 
>  
> 
> 1) They’re sailing over an AU version of the Sea of Japan at the beginning of this. It does have sharks.
> 
> 2) On Fai’s lack of underwear – _women _sometimes did this, as the underwear left lines on the outer kimono and shucked it up a bit. Instead, people would wear a long, smooth robe so that the clothing fit better, looking better overall.
> 
> 3)‘-  
>  wángyé’ and ‘-jiéxià’ are Chinese suffixes used quite similarly to the Japanese honorifics I usually use in my fics. I used ‘-wángyé’ for the Crown Prince as it basically translates to ‘princely lord’, and it’s usually reserved for kings/princes (both of which are considered below the Emperor). Members of the Imperial family will usually receive ‘-diànxià’ (‘beneath your palace’), but I felt I’d be overusing that with other characters so switched to a different address for Zhuang. ‘-jiéxià’ (‘beneath your ceremonial banner’) is used for ambassadors.
> 
> 4) Fai’s clothing when they go to see the Emperor, pretty much (without the hat): <https://www.chinesemoods.com/product.php?productid=2384>  
> Kurogane’s clothing (only in red/black/gold): <https://www.chinesemoods.com/product.php?productid=680>


End file.
